Shelter construction



Aug. 13, 1957 c. B. FRlTscHE SHELTER CONSTRUCTION g f 2 M w W w i i, d. QM

Aug. 13, 1957 c. B. FRITSCHE SHELTER CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 21, 1954 I INVENTOR. 621"] Z 779'%e.

United States PatentO This invention relates to collapsible shelters and tents of the type disclosed in my copendingapplications, Serial No. 293,784, filed June 16, 19 52, and Serial No.-378,065, filed September 2, 1953. p

Shelters of the type with which my invention is particularly concerned have a rigid but collapsibleskeleton framework which supports walls of flexible material such as'canvas. I providea continuous connection between the flexible material and certain of the frame members and I desire to preserve this connection when the shelter is collapsed'to render it capable of compact and ready transportation from one point to another. permit this and at the same time furnish great rigidity and strength so that my shelter in the erected condition will be capable of withstanding heavy wind loads, I have provided by means of the present construction a hinge construction of rather simple design but optimum functional characteristics. 7, i I

According to the present invention, I provide a hinge plate 'on one frame member and a body or housing for i the plate on a frame member which is to be hingedtothe first. The hinge construction as defined by the plate and the body are in contact along a circular path and along planes radial to said path.

Engagement along the circular path provides for pivotal or hinging movement about the axis of the path while engagement in radial planes insures proper alignment of the connected frame members relative to each other.

At the present time this hinge construction is intended primarily for use on the arch frame members that are the main structural elements in the preferred forms of my shelter and they are placed on the convex side (i. e. outside) of the arch, the fabric wall being suspended from the concave side (i. e. inside) of the arch. This arrangement not only avoids interference of the hinge with the fabric wall but locates it in a position in which it can readily prevent the arch sections from following their tendency to straighten out or turn inside out when the shelter is subjected to heavy winds.

My invention is shown in its preferred form in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of a shelter constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention and the inventions shown in the aforesaid copending applications;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation with parts broken away of the hinge construction of this invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the subassembly of hinge plate and arch sections; and

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

As described in much more detail in my copending applications, the collapsible and portable shelter 1 includes a series of parallel longitudinally spaced vertical arch members 3 that are preferably of about semicircular shape. Suspended from the bottom faces of the arch members is the fabric wall 5 of the tent. The wall 5, which may be of canvas or other suitable material, has

In order to p V Patented, Aug- 13, 1957 2 an enlarged welt 7 which extends across the entire width of the shelter and is entirely confined within a recess 9 in the bottom of each arch 3. The recess 9 has a narrow neck or slot 11 which opens out of the bottom of the arch and the canvas extends outthrough the slot and longitudinally to the adjacent arches. If desired, a hanger tab 12 of flexible material may be secured to the canvas and suspended from the arches by means of the welt 7. The welt 7 is threaded through the recess 9 so that it extends throughout the full length-of each arch and it is desired to leave it within the recesses 9 when the arches are collapsed. 1 j

Each arch may be made of as many sections as desired. I prefer to make it in four sections of equal'length and thus would provide a hinge at the 'top or point of the arch as well as hinges at each 45 point. However, the, number of sections depends largely onthe erected sizeof the tent and on the collapsed size that it is desired to obtain. In order to simplify the drawing I have shown hinges at onlythe 90 pointg, I

'The details of'the hinge construction which I prefer to use forattaching the various sections of an arch 3 together are shown best in Figs. 2-4, the hinge being designated generally by the reference number 13 and the two arch sections that are joined together bythe reference numbers 5:: and 5b. 3 As seen in Fig. 3 the arch section 5a has a thin plate 14 welded or'otherwise securely fixed to its topsurface asshown at 15. The plate 14 is a segment of a circle and its outer periphery. 17 is formed on a radius from a center 21 that may be just slightly below and to the, right of the bottom corner 19 of the arch section 5a. The chordal surface 23 which is welded or otherwise secured to the top of the section 5a willbe slightly arcuate and on the same radius as the curvedarch so a s to insure a close fit. Inasmuch as the center or curvature of' the arch and thus of the surface 23'ison the ground for a semicircular arch the surfaces appear substantially flat in the drawing due to the reduction in size. The plate 14 has a tail portion 25 which will project through a slot formed in the top of the adjacent section 5b, the tail 25 thus being accepted by the enlarged hollow interior 27 of the arch member 3. i

The arch member section 5b is securely attached to a hinge body or housing 31 that may be curved on a radius extending from the center 21. The body 31 has an interior slot 32 with a circular bearing surface 33 adapted for sliding engagement with the periphery 17 of the plate 14. The arch section 5b may be attached to the body 31 so that its lower corner 35 is slightly above and to the right of the center 21, the ends of the sections 5a and 5b thus being slightly spaced apart to provide for expansion due to temperature changes. Attachment of the body 31 to the section 5b may be accomplished by various means and I have shown an ear 37 formed to extend in a direction outward from the body 31 to rest on the top of the section 5b to which it is secured by a blind rivet 39 extending through the ear and the top of the section 5b. The channel 51; fits between spaced bottom sides 41 of the housing 31 and may be attached near its end to each of the sides by means of blind rivets 43 extending through suitable holes in the section 5b and the body 31.

In connecting arch sections 501 and 5b together, the hinge plate 14 may be inserted into the body 31 by sliding it, tail 25 first, into the bottom left-hand end of the body 31. The plate 14 will ride on the radial walls 45 of the slot 32 and the tail will follow the slot around until it enters the aforementioned slot in the top of arch member 5b and the hole 47 in the tail 25 is aligned with a hole 49 in both side walls 41 of the body 31. An eye bolt and nut assembly 51 may then be projected through the aligned holes 47 and 49 and tightened up to fix the relative angular positions of the hinge plate 14 and the body 31. When the hinge plate is in the position just mentioned, both arch sections a and 5b will be housed between the side walls 41.as previously indicated and the tops thereof will engage shoulders 53 within the body .31 as well as the sides 41 of the body 31. The plate 14 can engage transverse ribs 55 Withinthe housing 31 as Well as Walls 45, so that ample support is provided to prevent misalignment of the arch sections. Additional rigidity acting to prevent relative angular movement of the sections 5a and 5b may be provided by projecting eye bolt assemblies '57 through holes 59in the plate 14 which will be aligned withholes 61 in opposite sides .of the body 31.

Holes 63 may be provided in the side walls 41 to receive the projection on the end of adjustable purlins 6.5 thatmay extend longitudinally between adjacent arch members 3 to rigidly unite them, the adjustable purlin structure being described in more detail in my copending application, Serial No. 378,065. 7

When it is desired to collapse an arch member 3, the eye bolt assemblies are removed and the arch sections 511 and 5b are folded toward each other. After about 180 of relative movement, the hole 47 will register with the holes 67 through the side walls 41 and an eye bolt assembly can'be projected through the aligned holes to rigidly secure the hinge plate to the body with the members 5a and 5b in a collapsed condition.

It will be seen that there is a substantial area of radial engagement between the sides of the hinge plate and the body which will effectively prevent relative shifting of the two sections. Pivotal movement, such as might be occasioned by a tendencyof the arch to turn inside out under shear ,loads,,is positively prevented by means of the eye bolt assembly 51 and if extra strength is desired the assemblies 57 may also beused. It will also be noted that moving parts of the hinge 13 are well protected from the efiects of severe weather by the casing 31.

It will be recognized that various modifications of the structure described and illustrated are within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim: 7 1. In a collapsible shelter of the type described, a

hollow arch member comprised of first and second aligned sections having means on the concave bottom side for receiving and supporting a flexible wall, a hinge plate secured along the convex top side of said first section and extending upwardly and about half of its length projecting out beyond the end of said section and the remote end thereof having a tail extending down, a hinge body secured along the convex top side of said second section and extending upwardly and about half of its length projecting out beyond the end of said second section, the top edge of said plate being substantially semicircular and slidably fitting in a substantially semicircular groove inside of said body, said tail extending through a slot in the top of said second section and having a hole therethrough registering with holes in said second section and in said body whereby bolt means may be passed through said holes to clamp said 'plate and body together against relative angular'movement.

2. The invention set jforth in claim 1 including registering holes in said plate and body located above said sections for receiving additional bolt means to clamp said plate and body together. i

3. The invention set forth .in claim 1 including holes in said body that align with the holes in said tail when said arch sections are folded a predetermined distance toward each other and said tail is out ofthe slotin the second section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Mitchell-ct al. Feb. 10, 1953 

